Frady, Brown clash over bypass, agenda

Things took a turn for the worse early on at Thursday night’s meeting of the Fayette County Commission.

It devolved to the point where commissioner Steve Brown raised his voice in a bid to overpower the gavel-banging from Chairman Herb Frady.

Brown quieted down after Frady suggested that if he did not compose himself, Brown could be removed from the meeting.

The scenario started innocently, with Frady asking Brown about an item Brown wanted added to the agenda regarding the West Fayetteville Bypass.

Brown expressed frustration that it was not already on the agenda, arguing that he had gone through proper channels to do so in time for the meeting.

Frady suggested that Brown merely wanted to offer “rebuttal” about the bypass, which he did not consider official business for the commission to take up during a meeting.
Soon after, Brown authored a motion to add the bypass to the agenda, which failed on a 2-2 tie.

Following the vote, Frady banged the gavel over Brown’s raised voice multiple times to cut off the discussion. But Brown wasn’t finished yet: he exclaimed that he wanted it on the record that he was being “censored.”

Within seconds, Frady ended the matter, banging his gavel several more times and lashing out at Brown for the spectacle.

“Steve, you’re out of order. If you want to remain in this room, you’ll stay in order,” Frady warned.

At the end of the meeting, an exasperated Brown voted against the motion to adjourn, though he lost that vote too on a 3-1 count.

Brown, who took office weeks ago, has pledged to stop the West Fayetteville Bypass.

Following the meeting, Brown told reporters that he wanted to tell the audience — which consisted largely of bypass opponents — that the previous commission had never voted to shift money from the East Fayetteville Bypass to the West Fayetteville Bypass, which is why county staff is not to blame for what some have perceived as a “mishandling” of open records requests on the matter.

Brown added that he wanted to ask county staff to investigate reports he has received of an agent for the county using “intimidating and rude language” with some of the property owners along the West Fayetteville Bypass. Brown also said he wanted to address critics who have accused him of supporting the West Fayetteville Bypass years ago with evidence that he has never supported the project.

This was not a matter of civil disobedience. I followed the protocol. My behavior was obedient. Now if the chairman thinks that he can step beyond his bounds and censor speech from elected officials and gavel them down whenever they open their mouths, what we have is anarchy on behalf of the chairman. The chairman is clearly not following a legal opinion that was handed to him and that is truly disobedience (and not the "civil" variety).

Haddix is trying hard to pull ahead, but Brown will eventually prevail because he is who he is and he will have 2 more years to act out after Haddix is replaced as mayor by Pullias, Plunkett or (God forbid) Imker.

No contest. Brownclown all the way.

And that would actually be "fewer people skills" if you don't mind me picking your nits.

Your comments under this story are proving to me you're just anti-Brown no matter what. You're taking Herb Frady's side??? My wife saw two people at the GOP breakfast who actually went to the meeting. They said Frady looked like some kind of crackpot dictator.

you jest here. Does anyone know the answer? He missed another meeting in Dec. and I think it was illness at that time. Does he have health problems that are preventing him from attending to county business, or what?

I asked the same question from someone on the inside. I was told that Hearn had gone duck hunting. Whether or not I got the straight skinny on it or not, that is what I was told. Again, that is classified a hearsay.

I've tried my best to give the other 3 comms the benefit of the doubt.

Even after

I stood on 74 waving signs at 7am for the hopefully to be elected and watchin the signs pulled less than 30 mins later...

Even after

I went over and fished the signs of my friends out for the garbage dump.. I tried to tell myself they were 'legally pulled up'.

AND...

(I tried to tell myself that those signs I spent a whole Sunday afternoon planting, were only ripped up because I didn't place them farrr... enough away from the right of way despite my bills from my Doctor for poison oak, shows I grungded way way out to make sure they didn't pick up the signs, that I went out of my way to get them set back as far as possible).

It was only after this past meeting did I say that no quarter can be given to these people.

In my eyes, they are crooks! I hate to say it, but if you love your dollar..

PLEASE PREPARE TO DO WAR ON A GROUP THAT TAKES YOUR TAX DOLLARS AND USE THEM FOR DEVELOPER PROJECTS.. not yours

Look at the bypass...look at the empty schools..

ASK YOURSELF..AM I BEING STUPID..OR.. AM I BEING USED..???

(if you guessed USED, your answer is CORRECT...!!!)

You guys are paying for roads for developers that will make your present traffic jam look like a picnic!

Do I think there is a VERY GOOD possibilty that the 3 remaming Commisoners have a different master than the citizens?

Please Mr. Brown try to work for us and stop butting heads just for the sake of being anti the past commissioners. I used the West Bypass/Veterans Parkway for the first time this week and loved the convenience of it. I just wish we could look forward to it going all the way to Westbridge. It is there and its not a bad thing. Do what it takes to complete the bypass and lets move on. Being loud in a meeting is not be best way to get things done.

Without a doubt, Qseal, Mr. Brown is working for the citizens of Fayette County. Mr. Brown is fighting for your rights and my rights. When people criticize a public official who is protecting their rights, those people are destroying the resolve of good people like Mr. Brown.

Obviously, you weren't at the commission meeting last week. Had you been, you would have witnessed the most flagrant display of censorship of anyone's First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech I have ever witnessed.

One of the items Mr. Brown wanted to speak about was the fact that a widow is being relentlessly harassed by the appraisal company the County has hired to represent the County's Interests.

Qseal, do you own a home?

If you own a home, would you want the county to take your home with no proof or justification as to why your home should be taken?

If the West Bypass is built, you need to keep in mind that many people had to sacrifice their homes and property for your convenience.

....abouit the WFB being completed reminds me of the US republican house trying to remove the health plan which was just approved.

It is for show and for garnering votes for acting like an ass, and crying about it like Mr. Boehner!

Is this what we vote for anymore, a good show on the floor of a called meeting against or for something that we know is already resolved?

Winning elections means something! Elections are lost due to stupidity and ignoring the voters!

Check Egypt and the rest of the middle-east this week, it appears, if you don't think that the people will at some time revolt against mis-treatment----debt be damned!
We have to share what is available when it is necessary. Not socialistically, but fairly.

So true! The necessity of sharing what's available. . . Fairly. I hope Americans are paying attention. Thankfully our system does not allow a dictator to remain as president- but we must VOTE in order to be in control.

I wish I had been there to personally witness Dumb and Dumber go at it in a public meeting, both showing what juvenile little brats they are, too consumed with their own BS to care about anything else.

The thought of Steve Brown with the Chair's gavel simply is frightening. The only possible good to come of all this bantering could only be if one of the commissioners has the cajones to bitch-slap another.

Fayette County is now seeing what we in Peachtree City have known for some time.

So, now it is embarrassing for our public official to have the courage to defend your's, mine and our First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech!

You embarrass very easily.

There is no doubt in my mind that you weren't at the commission meeting, either.

Criticize a public official for anything other than defending our RIGHTS! The citizens of this country have already had way too many RIGHTS taken away!

One of those RIGHTS that has been taken away is the right to own property. Do you realize that if Fayette County Officials decide they need your home to build whatever they want to build they can take YOUR HOME. Sure they will pay you something for it.

mbest, would you like to have a roundabout built in your front yard? The County won't pay you for your house. They will only pay you for your front yard. Who do you think you could sell that house to with a roundabout in the front yard? What amount of money do you think you could get for a home with a roundabout approximately 30 feet from your front door?

I would not want a round-a-bout in my front yard. I agree with that. And you're right I wasn't at the meeting. I have to admit the bypass has not been a big issue to me because I haven't seen anyway it would affect me. I'll try to be more sympathetic to your plight. I just want Steve to maintain the dignity of the office. Please ask him to go easy on the drama. There are better ways to make a point.

Steve doesn't have a gavel to bang--and let's be honest here, there should NEVER be any need for anyone to be banging a gavel when, presumably, there are only adults present, all hopefully in possession of their senses and having left their egos at the door.

Hey AtHome, are we also supposed to leave our First Amendment Freedom of Speech Rights at the door, too?

I can sacrifice a little dignity for my First Amendment Rights.

It was Mr. Frady's ego that got in the way of a dignified commission meeting. His ego, as the all supreme being of the Fayette County Commission, got stepped upon so he took his little hammer and banged on the desk.

I said nothing about freedom of speech--because I don't believe a proven & recognized right needs any debate. I don't understand why ANY commissioner should not be able to say "Mr. Chairman, I have something to say" and be recognized and say it. For pete's sake, this is not grade school we're talking about--it's elected adults there to talk about the business of our county! I'm beginning to believe that we don't need a Chairman or Co-Chairman, but simply some knowledgeable administrative official of the County to oversee/conduct the commission meetings--thereby making all commissioners equal in authority & importance. And if any commissioner can't handle that, then it begs the question "Why are you here?"

Brown has attached himself (and the other guy) to the Bypass issue and he's not going to let it go. He knows he can't actually do anything without Horgan or Hearn, but he can bluster and foam at the mouth with the best of them. Big hat - no cattle.

This article failed to mention that more than an hour of the meeting was taken up with public comments, all of which were against the West Bypass now under the alias "Veterans Parkway." The article ignored all the comments that were the essence of what the meeting was really about.

With the new commissioners voted in on an anti-bypass platform, therefore, it is only fitting and proper that more complete news coverage of that subject should take place. To date, there has not been a single public comment in favor of that road. Here the reporter makes a complete article out of what one commissioner was trying to do simply to fulfill his campaign pledge.

The public comments were many, informative and interesting. It is hoped that in the future, the Citizen will pay attention to them, report them, and then follow up with the commissioners, who are supposed to be listening and absorbing them. One commenter explained that he has been trying to get answers to two questions for almost 3 weeks, but couldn't get even an acknowledgement to his emails from Mr. Frady. Fayetteville, we have a problem. People aren't told what's really going on, and our leaders aren't listening to what is.

Simply focusing upon one event when so many more took place just doesn't do the job, and puts an unfair slant upon what actually happened. But I feel charitable tonight, and I'll give this article a D-.

Even Brown's harshest critics will state that Brown is usually or frequently right about the issues but lacks the leadership and people skills and business sense to actually get things done. Birdman, NUK, Spyglass and other should agree. And here is yet another public demonstration of the brown clown in action. Note on report card "Does not play well with others".

Sure the bypass is a bad idea and a waste of money. Now the opposition is fronted by an out of control egomaniac and the validity of the anti-bypass movement marginalized and their message obscured by emotion. Brown just wants to "go on the record" about all the stuff we have read about for the last year in his endless self-promotion sponsored by The Citizen. OK, we heard you. We know what you want. We know you can't change things. Just wait a few months and you can be chairperson and talk all you want.

The rules have been changed three separate times on how to get something on the agenda - this since January 1, 2011. I have followed all the variations of the rules.

On the first two meetings, Chairman Frady had the "Reports" section completely removed from the agendas to prevent either Commissioner McCarty or me from being able to speak - mind you that has not happened for a least a decade prior because I checked all the minutes.

If an elected commissioner can not address complaints from citizens (two of my items) in a public meeting, then we are all in a lot of trouble.

The third issue is laughable. Chairman Frady says that I am not allowed to comment on a statement HE made about me and my 2004 postion on the West Fayetteville Bypass in a public Board of Commissioners meeting. So only the chairman can speak to my positions in a public meeting? Utterly ridiculous.

The chairman's moves were blantant censorship and should not be tolerated.

Remember the quote: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Why don't you just get up at an appropriate time, between business, and start speaking about what you want to speak about. Even if he pounds the gavel and calls the Chief of Police. Have someone with a phone camera record the whole thing and send it to the state ethics committee.

Have more than one incidence however.

Try and get at least one more commissioner to back your rights to speak.

You aren't going to win the by-pass thing however, and that is the real reason he doesn't want to hear you.

Does everything need to be political grandstanding? Can't you guys simply sit down together and discuss it? If Frady refuses to talk with you about it (agenda items, how to work together, etc.) then let us know in public in The Citizen.

Otherwise, it is just more political posturing as far as I am concerned. Is it the commission of individuals or the Commission? Let us know Mr. Brown when you decide to start getting things done and stop grandstanding.

Here we go again! Another American citizen who does not defend their own or another citizen's First Amendment Freedom of Speech Right.

PTC, I take it you didn't attend the commission meeting, either.

Let me give you a little insight as to what actually happened.

When Chairman Frady exercised his power and banged the entire room to submission. One dear lady could take it no more. She had the courage to stand up and say that she couldn't take it anymore and left the meeting. Other folks did likewise.

I know that dear lady. When she bought her home and moved to Fayette County from another state, the West Bypass Phase I was already under construction. There is a disclosure clause in any real estate transaction. However, the person she bought her home from said nothing about the fact that the West Bypass would impact that property. The person she bought her home from was a real estate agent. When our lady discovered the West Bypass would enter her property she contacted the person she bought the home from and the real estate agent/owner denied they knew anything about the Bypass.

The lady who left the meeting is not originally from this country. In fact she still has an accent. However, she is now a citizen. Because she isn't originally from this country, she has a GREAT RESPECT for the FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS Americans should be able to enjoy. She wanted to address the commission and had written what she would say. However, when she witnessed Mr. Frady's denial of Mr. Brown's RIGHTS as a citizen of this country, she just couldn't tolerate it. She sent me an email stating how she felt about the proceedings and gave me permission to pass it along to others including the paper. Her thoughts are as follows:

Dear Ginga,
I felt the whole audience should have stood up and told Frady, that he should step aside for violating the citizens right. There has to be a way of removing these people who have total disrespect for the peoples wishes. We still live in America where democracy should prevail, I felt Frady acted like Chavez or Castro, that behavior for an American public official is unacceptable. I had actually a nice little speech ready, but after Frady's Kindergarten tantrum, I wondered if I would have lost my cool and told him to his face what I think of him, so I felt I better leave. P.S. You can publish this comment.

can you, and apparently only you, decide to just add things to a meeting agenda? Is it normal to bring this during a meeting, or are subjects for discussion usually presented ahead of time? There is a time and place for this, and you chose neither one correctly. You can draw more bees with honey.